Ship scaffold



Aug. 26, 1924'. 1,506,114

A. DONAGGIO SHIP SCAFF'OLD Filed May 6, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug, 26 1924. wflm A. DONAGGIO SHIP SCAFFOLD Filed May 1921 S Sheets-Shegt 2 1,506,114 A. DONAGGIO SHIP S CAFFOLD Filed May 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 $35 abhor/mug Patented Aug. 26, 1924,

UNITED STATES ALEREBO IDONAGGIO, WINFIELD, NEW YORK.

SHIP SCAFFOLD.

Application filed May 6, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFREDO DONAGGIO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winfield, Long Island, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship Scaffolds, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the staging or scaffolding used for the cleaning and painting of ships hullsand is in the nature of an improvement on the scaffolding covered in my co .-pending patent application #360,681, filed Feb. 24-, 1920.

The objects of this. invention are to make the scaffolding more readily adaptable to fit the outline o'f'the hull, to more firmly secure the scaffolding elements and to enable quick adjustments to keep the staging planks level.

Various other objects and special features of the invention will appear as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, I have shown the apparatus embodied in one of its simplest forms, but wish it understood that the structure may be modified and changed without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of the apparatus to a ship in dry dock.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken plan view illustrating the swiveling action of the staging sections or planks.

Figures 3 and 4 are bottom plan and edge views respectively of the swivel hook construction.

Figures 5 and 6 are side and plan views respectively of one of the braces for supporting the scaffolding away from the hull.

Figure 7 is, a broken detail illustrating features of. adjustability of the scaffolding.

he. scaffolding consists, as in my previous application above referred to, of staging sections or planks, as they may be termed, 10, resting at theirendson the rungs ll offiexible' ladders 1 2 suspended inout'standing or edgewise relation at the side of. the ship Theseplanks are provided at their ends with members which hook over the rungs.

In Figures 2,3. and 4: I haveshown how these hook members are specially constructed'to perinitthe planks to be adjus'ted angu larly with respect tothe'supporting rungs st as to fit them more closely to the hull,

Serial No. 467,351.

This requires a positive shifting of the parts both to engage the hooks over the rungs and to disengage the hooks therefrom and hence avoids the possibility of accidental disengagement of the planks from their supports. The ends of the planks may be curved, as indicated at 20 on an arc corre' sponding to the center 21 on which the arcuate slots are cut. This construction enables the planks to be swiveled with respect to their supporting hooks, as shown in Figure 2, and allows the curved beveled shoulders of the planks to have a bearing on the angled portions of the hook members irrespective of the angular relation of the hooks,

Along the sides of the ship the supporting hooks may stand straight with the plank, as shown at the left in Figure 2, whereas at the bow and stern portions, the planks may be swiveled more or less to bring them into approXin'i-ate parallelism with the side of the ship at these points. One method of use is to accomplish this adjustment by first engaging the hooks over the rung and then after loosening the bolts, swinging the plank to the desired angular relation and tightening the bolts to secure the parts in this adj usted position.

he several supporting ladders 12 may be raised and lowered by suitable suspension cables 22 and to facilitate these raising and lowering adjustments, the rungs 11 Figures Sand 6) which hold the ladders away from the ships side may each be provided with a pair of spaced rollers 23 bearing against and riding over the side of the hull. For the purpose of mounting these rollers in spaced apart relation, I have shown the rungs 11' as formedwith Y-shaped extensions at the inner sides of the ladders having divergent arms 2% connected by a cross 1 bar 25 which forms the journals for the rollers. This spaced apartrelation -oftl ie rollers braces the ladders in edgewise outstanding relation to the hull and at the same time enables the ladders to be readily adjusted veriically.

In the illustration, the bracing rungs 11 serve a further purpose, being provided at their outward ends with extensions 26 carrying loops 27 to receive a guard rope 28.

The bracing rungs may be interposed at suitably spaced points. in the ladders and for this purpose they are shown formed as rigid. bars carrying blocks 29 provided with eyes at the upper and lower sides thereof to receive the end links of the chains 31 constituting the flexible sides of the ladder.

To hold the ladders snugly against the side of the ship and to prevent them from swaying, means is preferably provided for securing the lower ends of the ladders. in the desired relations. In the illustration, I have shown such means provided in the form of longitudinally extending lengths of chain 32 provided at the opposite sides'of the keel blocks and spaced at different dis tances therefrom, so as to provide convenient anchorages for the side chains of the ladders, which, ladders I have indicated having hooks 33 to be engaged over the anchorage chains. The anchorage chains 32 may be suitably secured at their ends to bolts, or otherwise fastened to the floor of the dock.

To provide a greater range of adjustahility and to enable quicker adjustments being made, I may make the lower ends of the ladder chain s variable in length by interposing sheaves 34c below the lower rungs over whichpass chains 31 forming in eifect extensions of the side chains and terminating in hooks 35 which may be caught in the links of the chains at the points necessary to hold them taut. In using this construction, the hook 33 at the lower end of the inner side of the ladder will first be engaged with one of the anchorage chains 32 and then by pulling on the hook 35, the ladder will be drawn inwardly against the side of the hull, whereupon the hook 35 will he caught in the nearest link of the chain to secure. the chain inthis tautened con dition. Tilt. same adjustment can then be made for the outer side of the ladder, the connection with the anchorage chain 32 be-' ing preferably made in this case so as to pull outwardly, as indicated in Figures 1 and 7. This spreading apart of the lower ends of theladders braces them more firmly and overcomes edgewise swaying tendencies.

In the case illustrated, Figure 1 particularly,I have shown the rungs as of increased length toward the bottom of the ladder to increase the bracing effect obtained by a widened base.

The warping of the ladders in under the overhang of the hull has a tendency to throw the rungs out of the l orizoritaland to overcome this, I propose to make one side of the ladder extensible and contractable, as shown particularly in F igure.

possible to adapt the scaffolding to suit practically any conditions and makes it possible to rig the staging with a minimum of labor and time.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. In scaffolding for ships hulls, flexible ladders having rungs provided each with a horizontally disposed forked end jecti-ng beyond the side of the ladder the branches of the fork being disposedon opposite sides of the plane of the ladder and a plurality of hull-engaging-rollers supported in spaced relation by said forked ends. p

2. In scaffolding for ships hulls, flexible ladders having rungs provided each with a horizontally disposed forked end projecting beyond the side of the ladder, the branches of the fork being disposed on opposite sides of the plane of the ladder, a pair of hullengaging rollers supported in spaced relation by said forked ends and a cross bar connecting the forked ends and providing bearings for the rollers.

3. In ship scaffolding, staging sections having base plates swiveled to the ends thereof, each having spaced hook portions for engagement with the rungs of a ladder.

4;; In ship scaffolding, staging sections having base plates swiveled to the ends thereof, each having spaced hook portions for engagement with the rungs of a ladder and means for securing said base plates in their angularly adjusted relations.

'5. In ship scaffolding, staging sections having base plates swiveled to the ends thereof, each having spaced hook portions for engagement, with the rungs of a ladder and means for securing said base plates in theirangularly adjusted relations, comprising securing bolts extending through the staging sect-ions and base'plates, the base plates having arcuate slots to receive said bolts.

'6. In ship scaffolding, staging sections having base plates swiveled to the ends thereof, each having spaced hook portions for en agement with the rungs of a ladder and means for securingsaid base plates in their angularly adjusted relations, comprising securing. bolts extending through the staging sections and base plates, one of the parts through which said bolts extend having arcuate slots therein. 1 7. In ship scaffolding, staging sections pro- 7 having curved and beveled end portions and supporting hooks swiveled to said staging sections and having angular shoulders. hearing on said beveled end portions of the staging sections.

8. In ship scaffolding, staging sections having beveled end portions and supporting hooks swiveled to said staging sections and having angular shoulders bearing on said beveled end portions of the staging sections, the beveled end portions of the staging sections being curved substantially on arcs whose centers correspond with the swiveling adjustment of the supporting hooks.

9. In apparatus of the character disclosed, flexible ladders, means for holding the same outstanding edgewise away from the hull of a ship, staging sections supported by the ladders and means for anchoring the lower ends'of the ladders with the sides thereof in widely spaced relation to thereby brace the flexible ladders and the staging sections carried by the same against edgewise swaying movement.

10. In apparatus of the character disclosed, flexible ladders, means for holding the same outstanding edgewise away from the hull of a ship, staging sections sup-ported by the ladders and means for anchoring the lower ends of the ladders with the sides thereof in widely s laced relation to thereby brace the flexible ladders and the staging sections carried by the same against edgewise swaying movement, the ladders being constructed with rungs of greater length toward the lower ends of the same.

11.111 apparatus of the character disclosed, flexible ladders, means for holding the same outstanding edgewise from the hull of a ship, staging sections supported by the ladders, means for anchoring the lower ends of the ladders with the sides thereof in widely spaced relation to thereby brace the flexible ladders and the staging sections carried by the same against edgewise swaying movement and to secure the same firmly against a ships hull.

12. In apparatus of the character disclosed, flexible ladders, means for holding the same outstanding edgewise from the hull of a ship, staging sections supported by the ladders, means for anchoring the lower ends of the ladders with the sides thereof in widely spaced relation to thereby brace the flexible ladders and the staging sections carried by the same against edgewise swaying movement, and to secure the same firmly against a ships hull, means for varying the length of one of the sides of the respective ladders to maintain the rungs of the same substantially horizontal.

13. In ship scaffolding, flexible ladders, means for holding the same spaced away from the hull of aship, flexible anchorages and flexible means between said anchorages and said ladders for securing the lower ends of the sides of the ladders to said flexible anchorages.

14. In ship scaffolding, flexible ladders, means for supporting the same outstanding edgewise and against the hull of a ship, flexible anchorages and means for securing the lower ends of the sides of the ladders to said flexible anchorages, said flexible sides of the ladders being independently adjustable to draw said sides taut with the ladders fitted to the contour of a hull.

15. In ship scaffolding, flexible ladders, means for supporting the same out-standing edgewise and against the hull of a ship, flexible anchorages and means for securing the lower ends of the sides of the ladders to said flexible anchorages, said flexible anchorages consisting of chains fastened at their ends and the sides of the ladders having hooks to engage said chains at diflerent points in the length thereof.

16. In ship scaffolding, flexible ladders having means for spacing the same endwise away from the hull of the ship and having sheaves at the lower ends thereof and flexible means engaged over said sheaves for holding the ladders firmly against the ships hull.

17. In ship scaffolding, flexible ladders having sheaves at the lower ends thereof, flexible means engaged over said sheaves, one of the side members of the ladder having an interposed sheave and a flexible connection passing thereover to provide for lengthening and shortening of said side.

18. In ships scaffolding, a plurality of sections of chain adapted to be secured to the floor of a dry dock longitudinally thereof at opposite sides of the keel blocks and spaced different distances from said keel blocks at different localities longitudinally thereof and flexible scaffolding members adapted to be supported against the sides of a ship on the keel blocks and having means for attachment to said chain sections.

19. In ships scaffolding, a plurality of sections of chain adapted to be secured to the floor of a dry dock longitudinally thereof at opposite sides of the keel blocks and spaced at different distances from said keel blocks at different points longitudinally of the dock and flexible scaffolding members adapted to be supported against the sides of a ship in the dock and provided with means at the lower ends of the same for adjustable engagement with said chain sections.

20. In ship scaffolding, a flat staging section and base plates swiveled on the flat side of said staging section at the ends thereof and provided with projecting hooks for en gagement with the rungs of supporting ladders.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALFREDO DONAGGIO. 

